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JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS

SANTA MARIA JUVENILE HALL

State law authorizes each county to establish a juvenile hall for the
detention of youth who are accused of law violations or who have been
adjudicated and found to have committed violations of the law. The Santa
Barbara County Probation Department operates the Susan J. Gionfriddo Juvenile Justice Center located in

Santa Maria.
The Susan J. Gionfriddo Juvenile Justice Center opened in April 2005 and expanded the Santa Maria Juvenile
Hall (SMJH) by adding a new intake and release area, administration offices, a medical clinic, a Master
Control Room (MCR), a serving kitchen and three (3) 30-bed living units. Each unit has two (2) classrooms,
a counseling room, a kitchenette, dining room, dayroom and outdoor recreation area. The MCR, staffed by
a Juvenile Institutions Officer (JIO), visually monitors over 95 cameras and provides keyless entry and exit
within the interior and exterior of the facility. The facility has a Board of State and Community Corrections
(BSCC) rated capacity for 140 occupied beds, and is currently staffed to house up to 80 youth.

The primary purpose of the SMJH is to provide a safe and secure environment for detained youth while also
providing meaningful interventions, treatment, and educational opportunities. Detention also prevents
youth from committing further law violations and provides protection for the community.

When a juvenile offender is taken into custody, they may continue to be detained or released to a
responsible parent or guardian. If detained, a Court hearing must be held within a specific timeframe to
determine if continued detention is necessary. The DPO will make a recommendation for continued

detention if one of the following criteria is met: a risk to themselves, a risk to the community; or likely to
flee the jurisdiction of the Court.

Following the conclusion of the Court process, the youth may remain at SMJH until the Court’s disposition
is carried out, i.e., Court-ordered commitment to Los Prietos Boys Camp (LPBC), placement in a foster care
program, commitment to the Department of Juvenile Facilities (DJF) or State Prison, or returned home. The
Court may commit a youth to SMJH as a condition of probation.

Youth at SMJH are screened at intake and anyone identified as having mental health issues are further
assessed by Behavior Wellness (BW) staff within 96 hours. A physical examination is also conducted within
96 hours of intake. Critical mental health or physical health concerns are seen immediately by BW or
medical personnel on site when possible and off site when necessary.

The Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) provides five (5) 50-minute periods of classroom
instruction five days a week, in addition to an initial educational assessment and special education and
resource instruction.

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